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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: saw · rock · deal · fan · plane · race · dip · rush

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. deal — to handle
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rock — a stone
  5. saw — the tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. race — the arms race
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. race — a contest
  10. rock — music
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. race — humankind
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. plane — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com